Book support for the physically infirm

ABSTRACT

Book supports are herein adapted for use by the physically infirm via the use of a lightweight roller which engages the pages of a book and keeps them from turning. The roller is secured to a ramp arrangement which is part of the margin support upon which a book sits. Only when the roller is at the top of the ramp, are the pages free to turn.

' 0 United States Patent [151 3,677,510 Kenwell 51 July 18, 1972 BOOK SUPPORT FOR THE R r nce Ci PHYSICALLY INFIRM UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] Inventor: Edward Albert Kenwell, 21 M d b k 319,907 6/ 1885 Hutchins ..248/448 Drive somervme 08876 2,691,240 10/ I954 Kraus ..248/460 X Filed! J 1971 Primary Examiner-William H. Schultz Attomey-Herbert M. Shapiro [2!] Appl. No.: 105,243 [57] ABSTRACT Book supports are herein adapted for use by the physically in- 52] US. Cl... 48/441 firm via the use of a lightweight roller which engages the pages [51 Int. Cl. ..A47b 23/04 of a k nd k p h m from rning- The roller is secured [58] Field of Search ..24s/441, 442.2, 444, 44s; to a ramp arrangement which is P of the margin pp upon which a book sits. Only when the roller is at the top of the ramp, are the pages free to turn.

Patented Jul 18, 1972 3,677,510

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR E. A. KENWELL Patented July l8, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N UPx BOOK SUPPORT FOR THE PI'IYSICALLY INFIRM FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to apparatus for the support of reading matter such as books and particularly to such arrangements which are relatively easy to manipulate, that is well within the capability of most physically infirm people.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A variety of book supports are known. All of these supports include a back rest against which the book cover is placed and an angularly disposed lip against which the book margin rests. Many of these arrangements are intended for use as music stands or for book support at other than erect orientations.

Many known supports also have fingers for engaging the pages to keep them from turning. Typically, such fingers are spring loaded and require some strength and finger dexterity for manipulation. For a great many people with physical impairments, the required effort and dexterity is beyond their capability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In accordance with this invention, the (margin support or) lip of a book support includes a ramp arrangement to which a lightweight roller is secured. In one embodiment the roller is attached to a ramp by chains which permit the roller to be placed at the top of the ramp or at the bottom. The ramp is adapted to provide a stable position for the roller at its top. The ramp faces the open book and accordingly the roller in the bottom position at the foot of the ramp engages the leaves of the book. The roller is typically large to be gripped by an entire hand of the user rather than by a finger thus making the movement of the roller relatively easy for the physically infirm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a book support in accordance with this invention showing a book and theengagement of pages therein; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a portion of the support of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 shows a book support arrangement in accordance with this invention. The arrangement comprises back and margin supports 11 and 12 disposed typically at an angle of 105 with respect to one another angle A in FIG. I. A book 13 is shown in an erect position resting against back portion 11 and supported at its bottom margin by portion 12.

The book may be held in place by book cover support arms 14 which are secured to the sides of portion 11 and extend inwardly. The arms are illustratively stationary with respect to portion 11. The pages are left free to turn by the cover support and it is particularly to the prevention of unwanted page tuming due to the camber of the pages that we will now turn our attention.

Portion 12 of FIG. 1 is shown with a ramp l5 thereon facing portion 11 of the support. The ramp is spaced apart from the back support portion typically a distance sufficient to accommodate a book to permit the turning of the pages of the book without obstruction. A typical incline is 15 degrees defining an angle of 90 with the back support.

The ramp is adapted to accommodate a roller 16 at the bottom'thereof as shown in the figure or at a planar area 17 at the top of the ramp. When the roller is at the bottom of the ramp, it engages the pages of the book as indicated in the figure and prevents their turning. When the roller is in area 17 at the top of the ramp, the pages may be turned easily.

The roller is of a geometry to be managed easily by the physically impaired. When the roller occupies area 17, for example, only a nudge is required to dislodge it. On the other hand, when the roller is at the bottom of the ramp, it is necessary only to push the roller to the top of the ramp, an operation which requires no finger dexterity and little effort an entire hand may be moved against the roller to so move it to the top. Experiments have indicated that the effort is quite manageable repeatably for individuals who have found alternative book supports taxing or unmanageable.

The ramp and roller arrangement are designed to permit movement to the requisite leaf (page) engagement and leaf disengagement positions at the bottom and top of the ramp, respectively, with a minimum of effort or skill level. This is clear from a recitation of the dimensions of a typical embodiment of this invention as shown in FIG. 1. The roller, for example, is dimensioned to fit comfortably in a hand 1% inches in diameter and 8 inches long. The ramp comprises wooden blocks and has a slope of about 15, the planar area 17 being 1% inches from the plane of support 12 at the highest point.

In addition, the base of the ramp measures five and one-half by eight inches wide (including the slot shown) and is spaced apart from the plane of portion 11 by a distance of about one and one-quarter inches to allow for the positioning of a book. It may be appreciated that the pages of a book are sufficiently flexible to be turned easily when the roller is in planar area 17.

Portions 11 and 12 are typically sixteen inches wide by seven inches. Arms 14 are typically two inches wide and six and a quarter inches long defining a three inch separation therebetween to be occupied by a book binding. Of course, the physical dimensions of the book support define the range of book sixes conveniently supported by such an arrangement. Accordingly, it is clear that books 8 inches by 7 inches by 1% inches are easily accommodated.

On the other hand, the maximum permissible size of a book conveniently supported is increased significantly by the ramp arrangement in accordance with this invention as shown in FIG. 2. To be specific, the figure shows the ramp separated into two parts and including two positions, 17 and top for a roller at the tope of the ramp. As stated above, the slope of the ramps is such as to define a right angle with portion 11 of the support thus permitting pages to turn without interference when the roller is at the top of the ramp. For relatively (thick and/or) large books, the roller even at the top of the ramp may interfere with the turning of pages. In such an instance, the roller may be moved to a low profile" position 21. In this position, the top of the roller is below the slope of the ramp and thus removed from a position of possible interference. The positions 17 and 21 are separated by separators 22 which present relatively easy obstacles for the user to overcome.

Of course, the ramp need not be divided by a slot into two portions in order to define a low profile position of the roller. The ramp is shown so divided to accommodate a rod 30 shown in FIG. 2. Rod 30 is conveniently 4 inches long and 3/16 inch in diameter anchored to portion 12 of FIG. 1, about A inch from portion 11. The rod serves to support a magazine or other such reading matter which does not have a hard cover to fit conveniently within arms 14 of FIG. 1. When rod 30 is erect, as shown in FIG. 2, it supports such matter at its binder or fold. When it is not being used, it may be rotated to a position below the face of the ramp into the separation therebetween as shown in FIG. 1.

Not only is uncovered reading matter accommodated by rod 30 in cooperation with the arrangement of FIG. 1 but that reading matter may be considerably larger than the sixteen by seven inch dimensions of the support; In this instance, arms 14 need not be used to support the reading matter; rod 30 may be used instead. Also, spring loaded rods 31 and 32 are lifted from slots 33 and 34, their normal positions, to support particular unbound reading matter which is not self-supporting above 7 inches. Rods 31 and 32 are typically over five inches long and provide a particularly convenient support for reading matter over l2 inches high. Of course, hard bound material does not require such extensions.

The design of the support for use by the physically handicapped is carried over to the manipulation of the extensions of rods 31 and 32. When these rods are in recesses 33 and 34, they protrude into area 35 which is cut into the top of portion 11 as viewed in FIG. 1. The area is several inches long and about one-half inch deep for exposing the ends of the rods for ease of manipulation as shown in the figure.

The ramp arrangement has been described in tenns of solid wood blocks. Of course, the ramp may be defined by spaced apart planar members along the top of which a roller may be moved into the positions shown.

Moreover, the method of securing the roller to the ramp need not be chains as shown. The roller may follow a track in spaced apart planar members if such are employed to define the ramp. Otherwise, any alternative convenient arrangement for restraining the roller from moving to an unwanted position where it may be difficult to manipulate may be used. The chains as shown in the FIGS. need only be as long as necessary for permitting movement of the roller to the selected one of the three positions shown.

No attempt has been made to exhaust all possible embodiments of this invention. The embodiments described are intended merely to illustrate the principles of this invention. Accordingly, various alternative arrangements can be devised by those skilled in the art in accordance with these principles within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A book support comprising back and margin support portions disposed at an angle with respect to one another for receiving a book in open position, said margin support portion including a ramp arrangement, said ramp arrangement facing said back support and being adapted for supporting a roller at first and second stable positions at the top and bottom thereof, respectively, and means for securing said roller to said ramp in a manner to permit selective placement of said roller at the top or bottom of said ramp.

2. A book support in accordance with claim 1 wherein said roller has a first diameter and the bottom of said ramp is spaced apart from said back support a distance sufficiently greater than said first diameter to permit the positioning of a book therebetween.

3. A book support in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for securing comprises chains connecting the ends of said roller to said ramp.

4. A book support in accordance with claim 2 wherein said first stable position comprises a first planar area at the top of said ramp adapted to receive said roller.

5. A book support in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ramp comprises first and second ramp portions spaced apart to define a slot therebetween, said first and second ramp portions being of a geometry to define first and third stable positions for said roller at the top thereof.

6. A book support in accordance with claim 5 wherein said third stable position is disposed to maintain said roller at a level below the face of the ramp when occupied.

7. A book support in accordance with claim 5 including a rod hingeably fastened between said ramp portions at the foot thereof and being controllably movable between first and second positions parallel to said back support and in said slot below the face of said ramp portions respectively.

8. A book support in accordance with claim 7 also including a pair of rods normally recessed into said back support and hingeably secured thereto, said rods being arranged to extend above said back support. 

1. A book support comprising back and margin support portions disposed at an angle with respect to one another for receiving a book in open position, said margin support portion including a ramp arrangement, said ramp arrangement facing said back support and being adapted for supporting a roller at first and second stable positions at the top and bottom thereof, respectively, and means for securing said roller to said ramp in a manner to permit selective placement of said roller at the top or bottom of said ramp.
 2. A book support in accordance with claim 1 wherein said roller has a first diameter and the bottom of said ramp is spaced apart from said back support a distance sufficiently greater than said first diameter to permit the positioning of a book therebetween.
 3. A book support in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for securing comprises chains connecting the ends of said roller to said ramp.
 4. A book support in accordance with claim 2 wherein said first stable position comprises a first planar area at the top of said ramp adapted to receive said roller.
 5. A book support in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ramp comprises first and second ramp portions spaced apart to define a slot therebetween, said first and second ramp portions being of a geometry to define first and third stable positions for said roller at the top thereof.
 6. A book support in accordance with claim 5 wherein said third stable position is disposed to maintain said roller at a level below the face of the ramp when occupied.
 7. A book support in accordance with claim 5 including a rod hingeably fastened between said ramp portions at the foot thereof and being controllably movable between first and second positions paraLlel to said back support and in said slot below the face of said ramp portions respectively.
 8. A book support in accordance with claim 7 also including a pair of rods normally recessed into said back support and hingeably secured thereto, said rods being arranged to extend above said back support. 